Bennett's story

Bennett was a happy little boy with such a joyful personality that his family and friends often fought over who would get to hold him. In December 2013, his parents, Ben and Megan, noticed his abdomen was enlarged, but weren’t too concerned because he didn’t seem to be in any pain. But a trip to the emergency room changed everything — scans revealed a large tumor on Bennett’s liver.

Bennett’s family turned to St. Jude for his treatment and care. “The staff at St. Jude proved to be not only the most knowledgeable in the country, but also the most loving,” said Megan.

At St. Jude, doctors found that Bennett suffered from a rhabdoid tumor, a very rare and aggressive type. He immediately started treatment. “Through it all, Bennett never lost his joyful spirit, in part because of the loving way in which our St. Jude team cared for him,” Megan said.

Sadly, in April 2014, Bennett lost his battle with cancer. “His doctors and nurses not only lovingly cared for Bennett, they were also by his side,” said Megan. “As we gathered around Bennett in his last hours, his St. Jude team joined us in praying, singing and comforting us." To this day, Bennett’s family finds comfort in sharing his story, in hopes that one day doctors and researchers at St. Jude will find a cure for childhood cancers.